Chronic Disease Community Intervention Project

Partnerships at Work:

One of Collier’s newest partnerships came out of the Chronic Disease Community Intervention Project funding. In reviewing the health statistics for the county, we found the greatest risks for chronic disease in the community of Immokalee.

 Seeking an early intervention, we asked for input from the Collier County Public Schools system. From that first meeting, Generation Xcellent was born.

The purpose of Generation Xcellent is to promote healthy lifestyles; being physical fit, eating right and avoiding tobacco. The underlying diseases we are trying to reduce are heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. The target is to reach first the students of Immokalee High School, then their families and the community of Immokalee. Our primary strategies are to increase awareness by providing health screening, enhance existing health and fitness education, integrate Generation Xcellent health messages in other areas of curriculum, and increase student involvement especially in the education of others in their community.

The partnership had an initial setback as one of the early school supporters was transferred to another school. With all our great ideas, we had a challenge implementing them into the school system. A team of dedicated people came together to form a Generation Xcellent Advisory group. Working together, much has been accomplished in the first six months of the grant.

• Free health screenings have been given to health and fitness students, as well as Immokalee High School teachers.

• The speech class used the Toastmasters Youth Leadership module and guest speakers to include health messages on being fit, eating right and avoiding tobacco.

• Access to after school fitness was expanded for students, their families and teachers.

• A healthy food choice campaign began in the cafeteria, supported by the School Lunch program.

• Drama students integrated diabetes education into their script writing and used the Diabetes Foundation moppets in a community presentation.

• We created a mass education effort for the "Great American Smoke-Out" day, reaching over 400 students, including signed commitments to avoid tobacco.

• Additional guest speakers were provided to health and fitness classes.

• Preliminary health tracking appears to be effective at reducing health risk factors of high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol among the students followed.

This partnership includes the Collier County Health Department, the Collier County Public Schools, the Naples Community Hospital, Marian E. Fether Medical Center, the Diabetes Foundation, Inc., the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association and the Collier County Parks and Recreation.

We are delighted at the strength of this new partnership and it’s vision that Generation Xcellent will help create a healthy future for this community.